Boat show hires Rufus the hawk as 'head of seagull security' to keep flying pests away from visitors' chips
One of Britain's biggest boat shows has hired none other than Rufus the Hawk to keep chips safe from pesky dive-bombing seagulls.
The Southampton International Boat Show teamed up with the country's most beloved hawk so attendees can munch away at their chips in peace,
Rufus, who keeps an eagle-eyed watch over the tennis courts at Wimbledon every year, is now heading south to make sure boat show visitors can have a 'safe chip zone'.
He will be on guard on September 14, as droves of fans queue up for the chance to meet the UK's hardest working seagull security guar in person - and even take some pictures.
The new partnership comes shortly after data collated by the boat show discovered Southampton is a UK hotspot for gull-related chip theft.
Britain's most hardworking seagull security officer has been hired by the Southampton International Boat Show
The lavish event has teamed up with the beloved bird to create a safe chip zone for visitors to munch away at their food
Nearly half of residents have experienced one of the flying thieves, with Brighton and Hove as well as Plymouth recording chip theft rates of 39 per cent and 32 per cent respectively, according to The Telegraph.
Adrien Burnand, Head of Marketing and Communications at British Marine, told the publication: 'As our latest research has shown, seagulls stealing chips is a real issue, with nearly half of participants having fallen victim of chip theft.
'With Southampton being the area most at risk in the UK and 44 per cent of people falling victim to chip theft, we decided to introduce a practical seagull deterrent to ensure the continued safety of our showgoers chips.
'We want our 100,000 plus visitors to enjoy all that the show has to offer, as well as all of their chips.
'That's when we thought of Rufus, who has a proven track record of keeping other birds at bay, making him the ideal candidate for 'Head of Seagull Security'.'
The Southampton International Boat Show is being held at Mayflower Park from Sept 13 to 22.
Rufus' new residency as a gull-deterrent comes shortly after Liverpudlians claimed their city was over run by huge seagulls dubbed 'XL gullies'.
The boat show carried out its own research where it found nearly half of residents experienced chip theft from dive bombing gulls
Pictured: Rufus the Hawk standing guard on chip watch, keeping a keen eye on any potential pests
Residents noticed the larger birds by the beaches in Liverpool, and believed the influx is down to an increase in rubbish being left around the area.
The city council had already spent £9.5million to clean up the litter this financial year, and has added a further £4.6million in a bid to improve cleanliness around the city.
'On Old Hall Street they take your food from you as soon as they see the Greggs bag. They come from nowhere, swoop and it's gone,' Debbie O'Reilly told the Liverpool Echo.
Another resident Phil Murphy said: 'It's the size of them that gets me. They're huge. Some of them are off the scale.'
Councillor Tom Crone, leader of Liverpool's Green Party, previously urged people to be more mindful about their waste and asked locals and tourists not to drop their litter.
But this isn't the famous Hawk's first rodeo as he annually visits the courts of Wimbledon
Rufus the Harris hawk is held by handler Imogen Davies on the famous London tennis courts in 2018
The hawk elongating his mighty wings as he protects tennis enthusiasts at Wimbledon in 2024
He said: 'We are seeing how the populations of animals are changing because of human behaviour. The sheer volume of discarded takeaways we see now are just too good an opportunity for seagulls.
'They are skilled, clever scavengers and the amount of litter and food thrown away is bringing them further in-land. The amount of food left around the city centre is clearly a driver of this behaviour.
'It would be great if people could be a little more mindful about how they are disposing of their litter. There are other issues too - like why we are allowing food companies to create so much disposable waste in the first place.
'There are other issues too - like why we are allowing food companies to create so much disposable waste in the first place.'
